Inside the capitol workers group: Deferment of election sparks internal rift

The postponement of the election of officers of the Provincial Employees Association of Cebu, or PEACE, has triggered a rift between two factions, each of which pushing its stand over the issue with posters pasted on the lobby of the buildings at the Capitol grounds yesterday.

Incumbent PEACE president Diosdado Cayme the other day distributed copies of his letter informing all members that the yearly election of officers scheduled on December 12 was moved to next year, or after the annual general assembly on January 13, 2006.

This sparked protests from a faction, allegedly belonging to a contender for the presidency, demanding for no postponement of the elections by pasting posters in the lobbies of the Capitol main, the legislative, and the annex buildings.

"We want elections ASAP" and "What happened to our PEACE funds?" were some of the messages written on the posters of the anti-Cayme faction, which also posted the slate of contenders seeking to replace the incumbent officers.

PEACE officials are supposed to hold office for a period of two years from the date of their elections, until their successors are duly elected.

This anti-Cayme faction was reportedly formed in reaction to a news item, published in a local paper the other day, stating that Governor Gwen Garcia will not grant the worker's Collective Negotiation Agreement incentive unless a new set of officers will be elected.

Cayme clarified to The Freeman that the information was wrong because the CNA incentive the governor may be referring to was for next year because the PEACE members already received the CNA incentives last October.

PEACE members usually get between P10,000 to P15,000 in CNA incentive a year, so there is no cause for alarm over this incentive vis-a-vis the election of officers, until next year, said Cayme.

Cayme said the main reason for the postponement of the polls was to give chance to some members to settle their unpaid annual dues and mortuary assistance, amounting to P240 each, to make them eligible to vote for the elections, as stipulated in the PEACE constitution and by-laws.

The elections could have pushed through and the payment of dues could not have been a problem if the Capitol payroll master automatically deducted these dues from the CNA incentives released two months ago, said Cayme. - Ferliza C. Contratista